Algeria’s Solar Surge: 850 MW of Chinese Panels Imported in Just Six Months — A Quantum Leap Toward Energy Diversification

Algeria’s Solar Surge: 850 MW of Chinese Panels Imported in Just Six Months — A Quantum Leap Toward Energy Diversification

✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Algiers, Algeria | In a staggering leap that underscores Algeria’s accelerating pivot toward renewable energy, the country imported 850 megawatts of Chinese-manufactured solar panels in the first half of 2025 — an eighty-five-fold increase compared to the same period in 2024, when just 10 MW arrived in a single month.

The figures, reported by the energy-focused platform Attaqa on August 7, reveal the scale and urgency of Algeria’s ambition to break from its near-total dependence on natural gas, which still powers roughly 99% of its electricity grid. This surge is not a minor uptick — it is a strategic realignment with profound economic, environmental, and geopolitical implications.

Monthly import data paints the picture of a nation in full gear: 390 MW in January alone, a modest 10 MW in February, then a steady climb with 60 MW in March, 160 MW in April, 140 MW in May, and 90 MW in June. The first quarter closed at 460 MW, the second at 390 MW. January’s volume was the highest on record; February’s matched the low point of the previous year.

Behind these figures lies a clear strategic intent. Algeria’s national program aims to add 15,000 MW of renewable capacity by 2035, a target that will require both domestic industrial mobilization and sustained foreign procurement. The current installed renewable capacity stands at a modest 601 MW — meaning that the latest imports alone dwarf the existing operational base.

The expansion is anchored by Sonelgaz’s rollout plan for 3 GW of new solar capacity. In 2024, the state utility sealed contracts for 20 plants: fifteen totaling 2 GW and five others adding another 1 GW. With these facilities under construction, Algeria is not just buying panels — it is buying time, energy security, and strategic leverage in a region where resource dependency is a geopolitical fault line.

The shift also reflects a broader recalibration of Algeria’s trade and energy policy, prioritizing technological imports that serve long-term national interests over fossil-fuel complacency.

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